Seaside Vacations Dedicated Team

Gloria Land, Property Manager

Responsible for homes in Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, Gloria has more than 10 years of experience in the vacation rental industry. She started out as a reservationist and quickly worked her way up in the field. She is a licensed Real Estate Broker and has first-hand knowledge of all aspects of the vacation rental industry. Gloria joined the Seaside Vacations team in 2007.

Gloria grew up as an “army brat” and called many locations throughout the U.S. and abroad “home.” She has called Kill Devil Hills home since 1998 and enjoys visiting the beach, spending time with her daughter and horseback riding. 

Melissa Towler, Property Manager

Melissa has been in property management on the Outer Banks for 18 years. She also has experience as an owner of an Outer Banks Graphics and Marketing company.

Prior to moving to the Outer Banks, Melissa worked in Los Angeles, California in the entertainment industry at Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia Studios and Paramount Pictures on such television shows as M*A*S*H, The Fall Guy, Family Ties and Dear John and feature films such as I Oughta Be In Pictures and Max Dugan Returns.

A History and Political Science major at Appalachian State, Melissa has worked in Senior Staff positions on several U.S. Presidential campaigns as well as U.S. Senate races, Gubernatorial campaigns and has managed North Carolina races for Secretary of State and Judicial races for the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

She has been married “forever” and has three children and three grandchildren.

Cara Shields, Owner Consultant

Cara grew up on the east coast and has spent every summer of her childhood vacationing on the Outer Banks. Her love for the ocean and the laid-back Outer Banks atmosphere brought her to Seaside Vacations in 2006. She holds a degree in Business Administration/Marketing from the University of Miami, which she attended on an academic scholarship.

After college she spent several years in Richmond, VA working as a relationship manager and commercial account executive. Cara is a licensed Real Estate Broker and a volunteer diver at the North Carolina aquarium on Roanoke Island. A homeowner recently complimented Cara on her “responsiveness, attentiveness and proactive marketing.”

During her free time, Cara enjoys traveling, skiing, playing soccer, going to the beach with her golden retriever, Sailor, and spending time with her family and friends. An avid runner, she participates in both local and national marathons.

Will Shields, General Manager

Previous work experience allows Will to apply the patience of a school teacher, the persistence of a sales person and the leadership of a business manager daily in his role as leader of the Seaside Vacations team. Since 2005, he has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company.

Will earned a BS and a Master of Education degree from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and received numerous awards as a teacher, sales person and manager. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker and has owned a home on the Outer Banks since 1988.

An avid jogger, Will takes to the dunes with his dog Buoy each morning. He enjoys collecting sea glass, entertaining family and friends, going to the beach and spending time with his wife and three children.

Gordon Jones, President

Gordon founded the company that would later become Seaside Vacations in 1990 and continues to serve as president. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and has worked in the vacation rental industry for 22 years. A Graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI), Gordon is also a Certified Residential Broker (CRB) and a New Homes Specialist (NHS). An acknowledged expert in the fields of real estate and property management, Gordon’s commentary has been featured in The Wall Street Journal. A regular columnist for The North Beach Sun, his column, “Property Manager’s Notebook,” is recognized as a resource for homeowners, prospective homeowners and property managers throughout the vacation rental industry. 

An active member of the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA), he is frequently asked to speak at national seminars. He is past president of the North Carolina Vacation Rental Managers Association (NCVRMA), past board member of the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS® and a founding board member of the Outer Banks Community Development Committee, an organization that develops affordable housing and provides housing and asset building services to residents of northeastern North Carolina.

Gordon is president of Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, a sister company to Seaside Vacations. He enjoys flying, diving, hiking, fishing, boating, biking, surfing and kayaking.